The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah welcomes our newest tenure-track faculty member, assistant professor Pania Newell. Dr. Newell’s research focus is investigating multi-physics, and multi-scale phenomena through integrating theoretical, experimental, and computational analysis.
Newell moved to the U.S. after completing her undergraduate degree in civil engineering in Iran. She obtained her master’s and doctorate in civil engineering from the University of New Mexico and University of Colorado-Boulder, respectively. After completing her Ph.D., she joined Sandia National Laboratories as a post-doctoral appointee where later she became a member of the technical staff in the engineering sciences center.
She joined Sandia National Laboratories hoping to complete her post-doctoral research and return to academia. “When offered the opportunity to become a permanent staff member, it was too good to resist,” said Newell. “In spite of having a prestigious research job at Sandia National Laboratories, I missed the combination of research, service, and teaching that you only find in academia.”
“Being born and raised in Tehran, where the climate is similar to Salt Lake City, the University of Utah with its strong research, teaching, and collaborative opportunities, is an exciting career choice for me,” adds Newell.
Here at the U, Dr. Newell directs the Integrated Multi-Physics Laboratory (IMP-Lab) with a focus on computational multi-physics analysis of coupled phenomena such as fracture analysis in multi-physics systems, computational homogenization of heterogeneous materials and deep scientific understanding of the role of each physic and their corresponding scales in the overall behavior of the systems.
The goal of the IMP-Lab is to create a diverse collaborative environment between researchers and students from different backgrounds with the common interest in solving challenging problems together, and in creating future leaders in the field of computational multi-physics.
Outside of work, Newell enjoys spending time with her family and friends through outdoor adventures, such as hiking, skiing, and traveling.
More information about Newell and her research group can be found online at the University of Utah Integrated Multi-Physics Laboratory.